1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to magnetic heads that are utilized with thin film hard disk data storage devices, and more particularly to the design and fabrication of a magnetic head having a storage media heating device formed within the magnetic heads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known to those skilled in the art, standard magnetic heads include write head elements that include two magnetic poles, commonly termed the P1 and P2 poles, with a write gap layer formed between them. During a data recording procedure, the passage of magnetic flux across the write gap between the two poles creates a magnetic field which influences a thin film layer of magnetic media on a hard disk that is located proximate the magnetic head, such that the changing magnetic flux creates data bits within the magnetic media.
The continual quest for higher data recording densities of the magnetic media demands smaller bit cells, in which the volume of recording material (grains) in the cells is decreased and/or the coercivity (Hc) is increased. When the bit cell size is sufficiently reduced, the problem of the superparamagnetic limit will provide a physical limit of the magnetic recording areal density. A present method to delay the onset of this limit in storage media is the use of a thermally assisted recording head in which a heating device is disposed within the magnetic head. Heat from the heating device is directed to the storage media, and it temporarily reduces the localized coercivity of the media, such that the magnetic head is able to record data bits within the magnetic media. Once the media returns to ambient temperature, the very high coercivity of the media provides the bit latency necessary for the recorded data.
A problem in creating such heating devices within magnetic heads is that the heating device requires protection against subsequent aggressive processing steps such as sputter etching and/or ion milling undertaken in the fabrication of further head components. There is therefore a need to provide protection for such heating devices subsequent to their fabrication.